Electrical appliance.



J. S..STEWAR T. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 25, 1908.

Patented May 4,1909.

h UV/NA wmwwwwwmww mw 4 ceiiing thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAME$ s. sT 'wAnr, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR'TO ANNIE STEWART, or a NEW YORK, N. Y

:JLE CTBIGAL APPLIANC E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May. 4, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. STEWART, a. citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manh'attan and State of- New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Appliances, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip' tion.

My invention relates to a form of 1am receptacle or similar electrical appliance which is adapted for use for outdoor and interior purposes where the lamps are designedto be fixed to and supported by a solid frame or object such as an electric sign, the decorations or tower of a building, or the walls or In my companion application, Serial No. 367,752, I have described a construction for the above purposes in which a supplemental fastening device of sheet metal is employed in conjunction with a porcelain receptacle of special form, whereby the latter may be fasstened in any desired relation. This appliance is very convenient, will not strain or break the porcelain, and complies with all insurance regulations. The present invention' aims to secure a still further iln rovement in this regard, and to secure su stantially all the above functions without the use of any such specially constructed fastening device. With this object in view, I provide a form of receptacle or appliance which receives ordinary wood screws in such a way that they act as fastening devices in conjunction with a surrounding sheet metal art. p From a broadly stated aspect, the present invention may therefore be said to comprise a receptacle or appliance formed to receive ordinary screws on its exteriorsurface which engage a mere ordinary edge or art of a surrounding surface without any rilling or tapping, or any tool work whatever, except initially formin the opening in which the rece tacle is bodily inserted. I

rom another as ect, my invention comprises a particular orm of indoor receptacle particularly adapted for use in electric signs and banks of lamps Where there is a single sheet metal supporting base common to all the lamps.

With these and other objects in view, my

- invention consists in the features of construc porting late having a forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 a sectional view of a lamp receptacle embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a. transverse-sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1; Fig. 4'shows a slight modification embodying the outdoor rece tacle; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View 0 the ca Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, 1 indicates the body of a receptacle of porcelain or other insulating material which may be of any suitable or desired form. have shown two forms of receptacle of which Figs. 1, 2 and 3'illustrate a type adapted for tion and combination, as hereinafter sates indoor use, while Fig. 4 shows an outdoor receptacle.

2 Indicates a head or rib, or other P10160- tion upon the body 1 and through which are provided a plurality of holes 3 preferably extending in parallel and egiually spaced-apart relation'about said he y. 1 The holes 8 extend completely through the head 2 of the receptacle in such'a way that they intersect the outline of the body 1. This relation is clearly shown in Fig. 1 in which both the body 1 and the head 2 are cylindrical, so that the holes 3 intersect the cylindrical outline of the body 1. The body l is grooved in alinement with said holes 3,

the grooves being of substantially semicircular or U-shaped .transverse section corresponding to the substantial alinemen-t of their surfaces with the bore of holes 3. Each of the grooves 4 is, however, slightly deeper than an exact semi-circle,preferably having a depth in practice about equal to two-thirds the complete diameter of the holes 3. This relation fixes the position of said holes 3 in the head 2, which, it will be seen must have a position slightly inside of that which they would occupy if their axes exactly intersected the outline of the body 1. Toward the lowermost or innermost ends of the groove 4, they become shallower by a gradual inclination 5, so that at their terminations, they may be actually less than the radius of holes 3 in depthQ 7 designates a sheet metal or other suphole 8 of a form and size to c osely receive the body 1 of the receptacle.

The receptacle 1 being preferably circular, a round opening of corresponding diameter will be provided in plate 7. The body 1 being inserted through this opening, it is merely necessary to insert ordinary wood screws through the holes 3, which pass downward and engage the interior edge of o ening 8 between their threads at the Joints w herc the latter are exposed outsi e the grooves 4. As the screws are rotated ri hthandedly, (or tightened) they exert t eie ordmary screw action 111 conjunction with the edge of the hole 8, so that the body 1 is borne downward into tight and locking relation upon the plate 7 with the head 2 abutting or binding the'reagainst. When the head comes into such abutting engagement on the plate 7, however, the points of the screws meet and ride upon the inclined surfaces 5. By this action, the points of the screws are wedged or thrown outward, and their exposed portionsim elled into engagement with the edge 8 and li ound thereagainst with a forcewhich is doubly positive by virtue of the combined wedging action and the leverage obtained. It is obvious that these features of construction and these princi les are equally applicable to the form of out oor receptacle shown in Fig. 4, and having the usua leading-in wires 10 cemented in waterproof relation therein. The parts in F ig; 4 are accordingly denominated by the same ret 'erence characters as the corresponding arts of 1 and need not be again particu arly described. a

An additional feature of my invention relates to the-internal constructlon and circuitconnecting means of the indoor sign receptacle shown in F i s. 1, 2 and 3. Thecylindrical outline of t e body 1 terminates at a flat face 15 from the center of which, there projects a square or non-ciroular protuberance 16.

17 designates a cap of circular outline corresponding to the body 1- and having a centra hole adapted to fit over the 'protu'berance 16.

-18 designates lugs or wings integral with the body 1 and projecting outward from the 'face 15 at points on opposite sides of the protuberance 16 and diametrically opposite one another. The verticalheight of these protuberances or wings 18 is such as to form shoulders 19 which limit the closure of the cap 17 upon the receptacle. The transverse extent of the lugs or wings 18 is corres 0ndingly such as to fit the diameter of tie internal cavity of the cap, so that the latter is efiectively divided into two entirely separate chambers in this way.

20 designates circuit wires which pass across the face 15 on either side of the par tition formed by the lugs or wings 18, the cap having notches 21 at points to permit this relation.

22 designates terminal screws received in clips 23 and 24, of which 23 is electrically connected to the threaded shell 25 by a screw'fo, while 24 is electrically. connected to the central stud terminal 27' by a screw 7 28. These last described connections are similar to thoseof electrical appliances hitherto proposed by me, and in themselves do not constitute any part'of the present invention.

.The ca 17 is freely removable from the body 1 a ter which the circuit wires can be stretched in place, as shown in Fig. 2, and

engaged beneath the terminal screws 22. The cap 17 is then appliedwith its notches 21 fittin over the circuit wires and the protuberance 16 projecting through its rear face. The cap may be secured in this relatiorrin any desired way, but I prefer a bent wire or pin 30 passed through a hole 31in the protuberance 16 ata oint to tightly hold the cover in place. e cap is trans versely grooved at 32 to reenter said pin, being reinforced by ribs 33 on its interior face. The lugs or wings 118 are grooved on their upper edgesto receive, the ribs 33 which are angularly located to suit this purpose, so that the receptacle is made as compact as possible. Y

It is evident that the circuit connections are simply and efliciently made, and all parts which are of qpppsite polarity are completely separate y a continuous porcelain wall or surface. When the cover is in place all of the bare electrified metallic arts are covered up, and at the same time t e circuit wires are supported at an adequately s aced distance from the metallic plate 7. boss requirements are all important ones to be satisfied in practice with sign receptacles and other similar appliances.

What I claim, is

1. An electrical appliance comprising a body having grooves, and a head having screw holes from which said grooves extend.

2. An electrical appliance comprising a hard body having longitudinal grooves on its superficial outline adapted to receive wood screws to a transverse de thless than the outer diameter of the t readed portions thereof.

3. An electrical appliance com rising a porcelain body having longitudina grooves extending inward from one end and adapted to receive wood screwsto a depth less than the outer diameter of the threadedportions thereof.

. 4. In combination with a support having a hole, a porcelain body having grooves on tions engaging the edge of the hole in saidsupport.

5. An electrical appliance comprising a body having grooves on its superficial outline, and a head having screw holes from which said rooves extend.

6. In corn ination with a sheet metal support having an opening, a body fitting in said opening, and screws loosely received in said body and engaging the edge of .said

opening-between the exposed portions of ad'- jacent threads;

and having grooves, and screwsreceived in said grooves and engaging the edge of said opening at points only between the exposed l5 portions of adjacent threads.

8. An electrical appliance com rising a body having grooves on'its supe cial outline, and a head having screw holes from which said grooves extend, said grooves becoming shallower at their terminations by a gradual inclination.

9. An electrical appliance com body 1 rising a raving grooves on its super cial outline, and a head having screw holes from which said grooves extend, said grooves having a depth equal to substantiall two-thirds the diameter of said holes, as an for the purpose set forth.

-10. In combination, a sheet metal support having an opening, a body received therein grooves, said grooves becomlng--- 7In combination, a sheet metal support having an opening, a body, received thereinisaid screws resting on avin screw appliance comprising a larly around said body and having screw holes from which said grooves extend, said grooves being of less depth than the diameter of said holes.

13. An electrical appliance com rising a body having grooves on its super cial outline and a head having-screw holes from v which said in a less ho es. s

' 14. In combination, a support having an opening, a body of hard insulatingmaterial rooves extend, said grooves havepth thanthediameter of said received-therein and having grooves, and

screws received in said grooves and engaging the edge of said opening at the exposed portions of the threa s. I

15. An electrical appliance comprising aporcelain body 4 having grooves, and a head avin screw oles from which said grooves exten saidgrooves being of less depth than the diameter of said holes.

16. An electrical appliance comprising a porcelain body having an end face with a central protuberance integrally formed thereon, terminals on said end face, lugs or wings on said face and forming a continuous artition separating said terminals, a porce ain cap fitting thereover and centrally perforated to receive said protuberance, said protuberance having a transverse opening and a pin received in said opening to lock the cap 1n place.

17. An electrical body having an end face, terminals thereon, a partition 011 said end face separating said terminals and having grooves on its top or exposed edge, a cap fitting thereover and having a transverse groove, and means in said grooves for holding said ca in place.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES S. STEWAR'I.

Witnesses;

ALFRED W. Pnooron," WM.-M. STOOKBRIDGE.

appliance comprising a 

